The North Carolina swimming and diving teams began the 2019 season with three wins over Navy and Penn State on Saturday in Annapolis, Maryland. The Tar Heel men defeated the Nittany Lions, 155-145, but fell to the Midshipmen, 161-134. The UNC women bested Penn State, 173-127, and outlasted Navy, 192-108.
What happened?
Following a first-year season where he had 14 first-place finishes, sophomore Alvin Jiang won all four of his events on Saturday. He took home first place in the 100-yard butterfly, the 100-yard backstroke, the 50-yard freestyle and as part of the 200-yard medley relay.
Fellow sophomore Valdas Abaliksta was also a part of the 200-yard medley relay team and finished second in the 100-yard breastsroke behind UNC first-year Sterling Smith. First-year Tucker Burhans and sophomore Jack Messenger also joined Jiang and Abaliksta on the 200-yard medley relay winning team.
Abaliksta finished first in the 200-yard breaststroke and was part of the 400-yard freestyle relay team that took home first place. Three first-years — Smith, Tomas Sungalia and Burhans — rounded out the 400-yard freestyle team.
On the women's side, first-years Grace Countie and Sophie Lindner each racked up multiple wins to help push their team to victory. Countie and Lindner were joined on the 200-yard medley relay team by sophomore Caroline Hauder and junior Brooke Bauer.
Countie, Hauder and Bauer joined forces again on the 400-yard freestyle relay team that won first place, along with senior Zhada Fields.
Countie also took home wins in the 100-yard backstroke and the 50-yard freestyle event.
Lindner finished second in the 100-yard backstroke and first in the 200-yard backstroke and the 100-yard butterfly event.
